Jean Slaughter Doty (1929–1991)
Author of Summer Pony
About the Author
Series
Works by Jean Slaughter Doty
Horses 'Round the World 2 copies
Siksak - en mærkelig hest 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Doty, Jean Slaughter
- Legal name
- Doty, Jean Slaughter
- Other names
- Slaughter, Jean
- Birthdate
- 1929-03-19
- Date of death
- 1991-03-28
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Sir John Cass Technical Institute
- Occupations
- children's book author
television producer
pony breeder
dog breeder - Relationships
- Doty, Roy (husband)
Doty, Christopher Slaughter (son)
Packus, Diedre Doty (daughter)
Clark, Patricia S. - Short biography
- Jean Slaughter Doty was born in New York, and in the 1950s, co-produced and wrote The Adventures of Danne Dee, a children’s programme. She was married to the cartoonist Roy Doty, and lived in Connecticut with her husband, children and numerous horses, dogs and Siamese cats. Her equine experience was wide: she hunted in England and Ireland, and was well known for breeding Welsh ponies at Rockrimmon farm, as well as Keeshond dogs. She was a show judge at numerous shows, including the National Horse Show at Madison Square Gardens.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- New York, USA
- Places of residence
- New Canaan, Connecticut, USA
Stamford, Connecticut, USA
Redding, Connecticut, USA
Wilton, Connecticut, USA - Place of death
- Wilton, Connecticut, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Connecticut, USA
Members
Discussions
Found: YA/Kids drama, girl at new house, pony cart accident in Name that Book (April 16)
Found: Book from the 70s or 80s in Name that Book (March 6)
Reviews
A small subset of pony books is made of stories about "the seedy underbelly" of the horse world. It usually involves horse racing, but occasionally - like this one - takes place in the horse show world. In children's books there is usually a case of mistaken identity where the wrong horse is injured for insurance money. (In adult books, the horse usually dies and there is human murder and/or gambling addiction involved as well.) You can often tell whodunit in the first chapter by noticing show more which character jerks the reins or yanks on a lead rope.
The Crumb takes the cake in this genre. A girl and her backyard pony are swept into horse show scandal. How did that needle end up in an empty barn? Why does that man look so shifty? These compelling questions are the background of the story about a girl trying to work to make money to buy her pony a blanket.
Snark aside, I am addicted to pony books!
Really though, I was a bit surprised by a plot point in The Crumb. The 70s were perhaps a harsher time for young girls than now; I know I would have been hysterical if it had happened to me. The book's extra half point rating was simply due to the shock and awe of deviating from the standard formula. show less
The Crumb takes the cake in this genre. A girl and her backyard pony are swept into horse show scandal. How did that needle end up in an empty barn? Why does that man look so shifty? These compelling questions are the background of the story about a girl trying to work to make money to buy her pony a blanket.
Snark aside, I am addicted to pony books!
Really though, I was a bit surprised by a plot point in The Crumb. The 70s were perhaps a harsher time for young girls than now; I know I would have been hysterical if it had happened to me. The book's extra half point rating was simply due to the shock and awe of deviating from the standard formula. show less
This is a brief, simple book with a very quiet, dreamy feel- even though some exciting things happen near the end. Parts were very reminiscent of that Billy and Blaze book where they get lost in the woods. Jennifer is spending the summer alone with her mother while her father travels for work. They’re staying at a farm her mother’s friend owns (but doesn’t currently occupy) in Connecticut. The owner of the riding stable where she took lessons asks if she’ll take one of the ponies to show more board over the summer. She realizes the day after they move that of all things, she forgot to bring her saddle! But is determined to ride anyway. The pony isn’t showy, but has a good temperament and is (mostly) patient with young riders. She can be stubborn with a mind of her own though. On one of their rides exploring the woods around the farm, they find a lush pasture in a hidden valley- with a seemingly empty farmhouse and a small herd of beautiful ponies. Who do they belong to? Is anyone taking care of them? Jennifer doesn’t have much time to puzzle over that because she soon has her hands full- her pony wants to join them and finds a weak spot in the fence. Jennifer struggles to control the pony and get it home again. Things are fine for a while after that but later her pony escapes its paddock and runs away to join the valley herd again. When Jennifer tracks her down, she finds the valley ponies are threatened. Can she be quick and brave enough to save them. Nice little story! show less
Ginny's family rents a pony for the summer for her. It's her first time caring for a horse, and she makes some mistakes and learns from them. Of course, her family ends up keeping Mokey, and Ginny and her friends teach Mokey to drive a sleigh in the second book.
Books like these set up unrealistic exceptions for me (and others) when I was younger. I mean, Ginny's parents cleared out the garage for her to keep a horse, and they built a little pen next to the house. She could ride down the road show more and in her neighbor's yards.
Why couldn't mine to that (20 years later than the publication date and in the suburbs)? show less
Books like these set up unrealistic exceptions for me (and others) when I was younger. I mean, Ginny's parents cleared out the garage for her to keep a horse, and they built a little pen next to the house. She could ride down the road show more and in her neighbor's yards.
Why couldn't mine to that (20 years later than the publication date and in the suburbs)? show less
*spoiler warning*
This is a sequel to "Summer Pony". In that book, Ginny was always so happy just to be around her very own pony... In this book it seems that having her very own pony just isn't enough. She gets so preoccupied and focused on the idea of harnessing Mokey to a sleigh that Mokey-without-sleigh isn't enough to keep her interest. She also seems to act a lot more spontaneous and reckless then in the other book; Being so close to Mokey and learning so much about horses while bonding show more with her, Ginny should certainly know better then to go horse-driven sleighing on snowy roads without an adult. Completely irresponsible.
Ginny talks about reading all the foaling books when she finds out Mokey is pregnant, and yet it's obvious that she doesn't know zilch about what to expect. She's very impatient about the whole thing and even gets mad at poor confused Mokey when the horse is unsure about her foal. Don't get me wrong, I love reading books where once-naive children slowly learn all about horses and how to care for them, and mistakes happen of course... It's just the way this book was written, I guess, Ginny's attitude and impatience is annoying. show less
This is a sequel to "Summer Pony". In that book, Ginny was always so happy just to be around her very own pony... In this book it seems that having her very own pony just isn't enough. She gets so preoccupied and focused on the idea of harnessing Mokey to a sleigh that Mokey-without-sleigh isn't enough to keep her interest. She also seems to act a lot more spontaneous and reckless then in the other book; Being so close to Mokey and learning so much about horses while bonding show more with her, Ginny should certainly know better then to go horse-driven sleighing on snowy roads without an adult. Completely irresponsible.
Ginny talks about reading all the foaling books when she finds out Mokey is pregnant, and yet it's obvious that she doesn't know zilch about what to expect. She's very impatient about the whole thing and even gets mad at poor confused Mokey when the horse is unsure about her foal. Don't get me wrong, I love reading books where once-naive children slowly learn all about horses and how to care for them, and mistakes happen of course... It's just the way this book was written, I guess, Ginny's attitude and impatience is annoying. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 20
- Members
- 1,113
- Popularity
- #23,079
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 27
- ISBNs
- 54
- Languages
- 4
- Favorited
- 2